A stag and a hedgehog once bought a field of wheat together，hoping to grow enough food to keep them through the Winter．All went well until the wheat began to turn golden in the Summer sun．Then，one day，they noticed that wild animals had broken through the hedge and were feeding in the field．“We must guard the grain，”said the hedgehog anxiously，“or there will be nothing left by harvest time．”
The stag was chosen to keep watch． Very soon，however，the hedgehog found that he was not doing his job properly．Instead of keeping other animals away，he joined them in trampling among the wheat，eating the ripest plants．“This is no good，”said the hedgehog．“I'll be the guard from no won．”
Though the hedgehog was small he was so watchful，and he sounded so cross and looked so prickly that the other animals kept well out of his way and he managed to save most of the crops．Harvest time came．Then came the difficult matter of dividing the grain．“I should have the larger share，”said the stag ．“I am bigger than you are and I need more food．”
“I did all the work，”retorted the hedgehog．“and I have a grow－ing family to feed．We should have half each．”
The two animals just could not reach an agreement．On the third day of their argument the stag invited a friend of his，a wild boar，to act as a judge．“Will you agree to do what I say？”asked the boar．“Yes，”said the stag．“Yes，”said the hedgehog．“Then you must run a race．The winner of the race will have the whole harvest．I think that's fair．”The boar winked at the stag when the hedgehog was not looking．“It's not fair， it's not fair，”said the hedgehog，“How can I win a race against a stag？”
The hedgehog went home sadly，wondering how be could find enough food to keep his family through the Winter．“What is the mater with you？”asked his wife as sat down glumly．“We'll think of something，”she said when she had heard the story．“We won't let that scheming stag have everything his own way．I think I have a plan．You and I look very alike，don't we？I'm sure the stag cannot tell us apart and the boar doesn't even know you have a wife．This is what we'll do．You start running with the stag at the beginning of the race and I'll stand near the finish line．As soon as I see him coming I'll start running as fast as I can．I'll make sure I get over the line first．Then the wheat will all be ours．After the way he has treated you，he doesn't deserve a grain of it．”
The stag and the boar never did discover how the slow little hedgehog managed to run so fast．But the hedgehog family had enough food in their larder this Winter to feed themselves and all their hungry friends and relations too．You may have to fight people who cheat with their own weapons．Exercises：
判断对（T）、错（F）：
①The stag and the hedgehog once bought a field of wheat to keep them through the Winter．②They agreed to have half each at first．③In the end，the hedgehog got half of the harvest． |